1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a facsimile apparatus capable of selectively printing only image information transmitted from a specific sender.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional facsimile apparatuses print out all the image information received. Therefore, if a user does not desire to have the received image information printed out, any printed sheet would be wasteful.
Accordingly, the invention provides a facsimile apparatus capable of selectively printing only image information that a user desires to be printed.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a facsimile apparatus including a reception device that receives image information and related information from an external communication device via a communication line, the related information including sender information that indicates a sender of the image information, a print device that prints at least the image information of the image information and the related information received by the reception device, onto a print medium. The facsimile apparatus further includes a determination device that determines whether the related information received by the reception device includes predetermined information, and a print prevention device that prevents printing from being performed by the print device if the determination device determines that the related information received by the reception device includes the predetermined information.
In this facsimile apparatus, the determination device determines whether the predetermined information is included in the related information, including the sender information indicating the sender, the related information received together with the image information from an external communication apparatus via the communication line and the reception device. If the determination device determines t the related information received by the reception device includes the predetermined information, the print prevention device prevents printing from being performed by the print device, which is designed to print at least the image information received by the reception device, onto a print medium.
That is, if printing of the image information transmitted from a certain sender is not desired, the printing of the image information from the sender can be prevented by pre-setting information that is assumed to be inevitably contained in the related information transmitted from the sender together with the image information, as the aforementioned predetermined information.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a facsimile apparatus including a reception device that receives image information and related information from an external communication device via a communication line, the related information including sender information that indicates a sender of the image information, a print device that prints at least the image information of the image information and the related information received by the reception device, onto a print medium, and a determination device that determines whether the related information received by the reception device includes predetermined information. The facsimile apparatus further includes a print execution device that executes printing by the print device if the determination device determines that the related information received by the reception device includes the predetermined information.
In the facsimile apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, the determination device determines whether the predetermined information is included in the related information, including the sender information indicating the sender, received together with the image information from the external communication apparatus via the communication line and the reception device. If the determination device determines that the related information received by the reception device includes the predetermined information, the print execution device executes printing by the print device, which is designed to print at least the image information onto a print medium.
That is, if the image information transmitted from a certain sender is desired to be printed, the printing of the image information from the sender can be executed by presetting information that is assumed to be inevitably contained in the related information transmitted from the sender together with the image information, as the aforementioned predetermined information.
The facsimile apparatus according to either one of the two aspects of the invention may further include the following. The predetermined information is predetermined sender information included in the related information, and the determination device determines whether the related information received by the reception device includes the predetermined sender information.
Therefore, if the determination device determines that the predetermined sender information is included in the related information, the printing of the image information by the print device is prevented or executed in the facsimile apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the invention.
For example, if a sender name xe2x80x9cSuzukixe2x80x9d is designated beforehand as the predetermined sender information, reception of the related information containing xe2x80x9cSuzukixe2x80x9d as the sender name, that is, the sender information, results in prevention of the printing of the image information received together with the related information, according to the first aspect of the invention. If the related information does not contain the sender information xe2x80x9cSuzukixe2x80x9d as the sender name, the printing of the image information is executed. According to the second aspect, the printing is controlled in an opposite manner such that if the related information contains the sender information xe2x80x9cSuzukixe2x80x9d, printing is performed.
The facsimile apparatus of the invention may further include the following. The related information includes transmission purpose information that indicates a purpose of transmission of the image information. The predetermined information is the transmission purpose information, and the determination device determines whether the related information received by the reception device includes the predetermined transmission purpose information.
Therefore, if the determination device determines that the predetermined transmission purpose information is contained in the related information, the printing of the image information by the print device is prevented or executed according to the first or second aspect of the invention.
For example, if xe2x80x9ctestxe2x80x9d is designated beforehand as the predetermined transmission purpose information, reception of the transmission purpose information xe2x80x9ctestxe2x80x9d as a type of the subject, results in prevention of the printing of the received image information, according to the first aspect of the invention. If the related information does not contain the transmission purpose information xe2x80x9ctestxe2x80x9d as a type of the subject, the printing of the image information is executed. According to the second aspect, the printing is controlled in an opposite manner such that if the related information contains the transmission purpose information xe2x80x9ctestxe2x80x9d, printing is performed.
The facsimile apparatus of the invention may further include the following. The related information includes text data formed by a plurality of character codes, and the determination device determines whether the related information received by the reception device includes the predetermined information, by determining whether a predetermined character code is present in the text data.
If the related information is text data formed by character codes, it becomes possible to detect the predetermined information by sequentially reading the character codes and compare them with a predetermined character code string. On the basis of the result of the detection, the printing of the image information is prevented according to the first aspect, and it is executed according to the second aspect.
The facsimile apparatus of the invention may further include the following. The image information is in an image file format and attached to an e-mail, and the reception device is capable of receiving the image information and the related information via the Internet.
If a conventional facsimile apparatus capable of receiving an image file attached to an e-mail receives a plurality of e-mail, the conventional facsimile apparatus prints out all of the received e-mail, even if only particular e-mail are actually desired to be printed. However, according to the invention, it becomes possible to selectively print only desired e-mails.